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The Pub Mile Drallewatsch
A mixture of gastronomic history, scene meeting point and cultural tradition

“The heart of the city center beats on the popular Drallewatsch pub mile found in 1996. The area comprises Richard-Wagner-Platz and Burgplatz including Große and Kleine Fleischergasse, Matthäikirchhof, Barfußgässchen, Klostergasse, Thomaskirchhof and Burgstraße. Here every night people crowd and the chairs of the different bars, pubs and restaurant get mixed to form a colorful and lively picture. More than thirty restaurants attract guests to what the Leipzigers call jokingly the ”Bermuda Triangle”, which has already seen many a missing person.” (from travel1000places.com)

Strolling along the Drallewatsch – an old Saxon expression for having fun and going out to dance and maybe something more – is an absolute must if you want to feel the city’s pulse. The pub mile’s name had, by the way, was decided upon by a readers’ competition of the local newspaper Leipziger Volkszeitung (LVZ) in 1996.

“Beside the heavily populated scene meeting points Markt Neun (mother of all Leipzig scene pubs), Sacharow, 100 Wasser, Bellinis, Zigarre and SPIZZ, you will also find gastronomic history on Drallewatsch without equal in Germany. Leipzig’s living history offers a Who Is Who of the German intellectual elite. Especially the oldest café-restaurant of Germany Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum (Kleine Fleischergasse 4) was a popular meeting place for prominent figures. Beside Goethe, Lessing, Wagner and E. T. A. Hoffmann there was Robert Schumann who regularly met his friends here. But also Helmut Kohl and Gerhard Schröder have meanwhile visited the traditional café-restaurant.

A few meters away, in Barthels Hof – opened again in 1998 – typical Saxon food and atmosphere in historical rooms and in the Baroque inner courtyard attract many guests. In one of the most original historical restaurants, Zills Tunnel (Barfußgässchen 9), a former regular guest – Karl Friedrich Zöllner – wrote one of Germany’s most popular folk songs: Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust. Old Leipzig city views and rustic wooden wall panels radiate old Saxon coziness. Beer has been sold in this place since 1785.

Another traditional place is located in Burgstraße 19: the Thüringer Hof. Dating back to 1454 it is the oldest Leipzig restaurant. Already Martin Luther enjoyed worldly delights in this place. In 1996 the restaurant was opened again after a complete reconstruction.

Finally, at the end of Drallewatsch, there is the Ratskeller (Lotterstraße 1), located in the basement of the New City Hall. The impressive stone gate already tells about its 100 years of bacchanalian history. The subterranean vaults are a great place for carousing in the footsteps of the former city councilors.

The restored Antikhaus (Große Fleischergasse) is a remarkable place, too. Under one roof there are the potato restaurants Pelle, the egg pub Eierei and the maritime gourmet fish restaurant Fregatte. Solid Saxon food is offered in the little Leipzig pub Spatz and in the potato restaurant Kartoffelhaus No. 1. The finest aspects of Italian cuisine are presented in the Dolce Vita.” (from travel1000places.com)

Those who want to learn more about gastronomy in Leipzig can book a guided Drallewatsch tour. On this walk through Leipzig’s pubs and restaurants they will get to know typical specialties like the Leipziger Allasch. The entertaining tour is offered by Leipzig Tourist Partners, phone +49-341-7104-230. The costs are about 90 Euro for a group and 4,00 Euro for each participant (valid 12/2011).